Understanding technical english 3

Contents To the Teacher Estimating Repairs (Car repairs are used as an example) Technical Report and Estimate (House decorating is used as an example) Car Running Instructions Tape-deck Maintenance The Electrical Engineer Machines w i t h Brains Electronics Television Air-conditioning 10 M a n the Master-builder 11 System Building 12 A Contract between a Builder and his Client: Excerpts 13 Cranes 14 Fire Protection 15 Solar Energy 16 Drainage 17 Ship Repairing 18 Arc-welding 19 The Internal Cornbustton Engine 20 Hydraulics Conversion Tables UNDERSTANDING TECHNICAL ENGLISH K METHOLD, D.D.WATERS & A KOHLER bR b nnn nnn W Longman Longrnan Group (Far East) Limited Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Associated companies, branches and representatives throughout the world @ Longman Group (Far East) Ltd 1980 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the Copyright owner First published 1980 Typeset in Hong Kong by Pearl Island Filmsetters (HK) Ltd Set in Monophoto Univers Medium 10/12 pt Printed in Hong Kong by Sing Cheong Printing Co Ltd The cover photograph shows the Shell/Esso Brent 'D' production platform in the North Sea To the Teacher This three-stage graded reading course is intended for those students of English as a foreign language w h o w i s h t o relate their reading i n English t o topics relevant t o their future careers as craftsmen or technicians The course contains the following features: The reading passages Each passage is complete i n itself The length of the passages varies from about 200 words i n Book One t o about 300 words i n Book Three The topics are of general interest t o all technical students and require little specialised technical knowledge o n the part of either the student or the teacher M o s t of the technical terms can be understood from the context or from accompanying illustrations The course can, therefore, be used w i t h confidence by general English teachers w h o have little technical knowledge The vocabulary The emphasis here is not o n teaching highly specialised technical vocabularies Throughout, the emphasis is more o n presenting a general technical vocabulary common t o all crafts and technologies The vocabulary has been selected from a careful analysis o f the words most frequently used i n basic texts o n building and building-associated trades and technologies, maintenance and repairwork, metal-work, civil engineering, and the fundamentals of computer a n d electrical technology Attention has also been paid t o the associated paper-work involved i n giving estimates and d r a w i n g - u p contracts Full details of this technical lexis and of the core general English lexis are given i n the teacher's handbook t o the series A t various places throughout this book, students are asked t o look u p words i n their dictionaries They should remember that not all dictionaries contain all words I n many cases, however, they w i l l be able t o find the root o f a w o r d even if they cannot f i n d the exact form they are looking for The n e w Longman Dictionary of Conternporary English is recommended Structural control All the material is structurally graded A basic assumption has been made concerning the students' knowledge at point of entry, and details of w h a t the students are expected t o know, if only passively, are given i n the teacher's handbook Other structures are i n troduced gradually, and are carefully dealt w i t h i n the exercises The complete structure list is provided in the teacher's handbook This list differs from other widely used lists i n that i t takes into account those sentence patterns most commonly used i n technical writing The exercises These are designed t o 'exercise' and t o test the students' knowledge The exercises require the students t o use words a n d structures that they have encountered i n the reading passages A n important feature of the exercises is that they revise the vocabulary introduced i n earlier passages There is, therefore, a carefully built-in revision factor throughout the book For this reason there are no separate revision units Objectives This course is not intended t o be a basic English course, and should be used i n conjunction w i t h any g o o d general English course Its purpose is t o provide English for a Specific Purpose The need for ESP has become more and more apparent over recent years This book provides supplementary material t o the usual English programme, w i t h a technical bias Acknowledgements TEXT We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material: the author, E.W Brown for an adapted extract from Ships Modern Industry series; Consumers' Association for an extract from 'Extending Your House' and an extract from 'Owning A-Car' used by permission of the publishers, Consumers' Association Copyright; Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd for an extract from 'Costing and Decorating' by F.E Chalrners from / C l Decorating News July 28 1970; Lutterworth Press for an adapted extract from Engineer, A Picture Career Book by Stewart Macmillan and an adapted extract from Boy's Book of Scientific Hobbies by R H Warring; Fredrick Muller Ltd for an adapted extract from This is Television by Richard Carrickford; Newsweek International Editorial Service for an adapted extract from 'Man The Master-Builder' in Newsweek September 12th 1977 @ 'l977 Newsweek Inc; Oxford University Press for adapted extracts from Machines and Engines by A.G Winterburn (Oxford Children's Reference Library Vol 20) @ Oxford University Press 1973 by permission of Oxford University Press; Popular Science for an adapted extract from Popular Science p 146 November 1976 Reprinted from Popular Science with permission @ 1976 Times Mirror Magazines Inc; Purnell Books for adapted extracts from Engineering Technology Foundations of Science Library @ Sampson Low, Marston and Company Ltd; TEAC Corporation for an adapted extract from TEAC A-350 instruction Manual Stero Cassette Deck; Wormald lnternational ( U K ) Ltd for an adapted extract from an advertising leaflet ILLUSTRATIONS We are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright photographs and illustrations: Architectural Press for page 63; Arnhold b Co Ltd for page 61; Australian Information Service for page 21 top-left and bottom-left; Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ltd for page 54; British Crown Copyright, Science Museum, London for page 62; Camera Press for page 21 centre-left; Commission of India for page 20 top-right; Department of Energy, U.S.A for pages 63 and 64; Gammon Building Construction Ltd for page 51; Hong Kong Government: Government lnformation Service for pages 2, 15, 21 bottom-right, 23 top-right and bottom, 28, 33, 36 top, 41, 43, 49, 52, 55, 57, 67, 69, 71 left, 74, 81 and 85; Public Works Department for page 45; Hong Kong Oxygen for pages 76 and 77; Hong Kong Tourist Association for page 20 centre; Hong Kong United Dockyards Ltd for pages 71 right and 75; K.L.M Royal Dutch Airlines for page 20 bottom-left; Leung Kai Tong for pages 14, 21 centre-right and 36 bottom-right; Mass Transit Railway Corporation for page 21 top-right; National Museum of Wales for page 20 top-left; Oxford Children's Reference Library Vol XX Machines and Engines by A.G.C.A Winterburn, published by Oxford University Press, for page 27; The Shell Company of Hong Kong Limited for the cover photograph; South China Morning Post for page 36 bottom-left; The Science Museum, London for page 23 top-left; Wong Che Leung for page 36 bottom-right; Wormald International (UK) Ltd for page 58 We are also very grateful to the following: Veronika Nell for drawing most of the illustrations; Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Ltd., without whose assistance the photographs on page 14 would not have been possible; Crown Motors Ltd., for their assistance with the illustration on page ESTIMATING REPAIRS TOP GARAGES LTD DESCRIPTION OF WORK US$ CHARGES Labour Charges Engine complete overhaul Regrind crankshaft & rebore cylinder Remove & reinstall air conditioner Refill freon for air conditioner Material Supplied Piston sub-assembly w/pin Piston ring set Bearing set - crankshaft Bearing set - connecting rod Washer set thrush Gasket set - engine overhaul Chain sub-assembly Tensioner assembly Timing gear Water hose Spark plug Contact point l Air filter Fuel filter Point set washer 51 OO 27.00 30.00 18.00 7.00 34.00 14.00 13.00 18.00 2.50 2.50 2.80 5.20 3.00 2.00 Fig l 263.00 90.00 80.00 27.00 - - - TOTAL 690.00 - - - A motor car repair estimate When y o u take your car-or, indeed, any piece o f machinery-to be repaired, it is generally an advantage t o ask for an estimate You should make sure an estimate is fully itemised so that y o u can check it afterwards Then y o u cannot be charged for unnecessary work Sometimes the repair cannot be accurately estimated until some parts have been dismantled I f so, authorise this amount of work first and ask for an accurate estimate after i t has been done Wages and methods of costing differ from garage t o garage Some garages pay their mechanics a flat rate per hour and pay time and a half for overtime Others add a fixed percentage hour t o the hourly rate They - per v the overtime at the same rate .~ a, for Garages w h i c h have an incentive scheme pay the mechanic a part, usually thirty per cent or thirty-three and one-third per cent, o f w h a t the customer is charged They don't usually pay attention t o the time the mechanic has taken The charge t o the customer is based o n the manufacturer's suggested timeschedules for work For example, if the time allowed is three hours and the mechanic takes t w o and a half, the customer is charged for three hours The mechanic receives thirty per cent of the total amount charged, n o t thirty per cent of the charge for t h e t w o and a half hours he actually worked o n the j o b Labour charges t o customers cover not only the cost of wages b u t also overheads To get the cost per hour of the overheads, divide t h e cost of running the workshop itself b y the number of hours of work available Then add t o this an amount for profit We acknowledge the Consumers' Assoc~at~on for an extract from ' O w n ~ n gA Car' used by perrnlsslon of the publ~shers.Consumers' Assoc~atlon Copyr~ght A mechanic working on a car engine A mechanic working underneath a car EXERCISES C State which words i n the passage mean the following: (i) the amount of money left after all expenses have been paid (ii) hours worked in addition to normal working hours (iii) a plan or programme of work (iv) an extra payment made to encourage more or better work (v) expenses needed for carrying on a business Vocabulary A Study this sentence: When you take your car to be rt?aired, it is an advantage to ask for an estimate Change the following into sentences i n the style of the sentence abol-e: (i) When your car needs to be repaired, obtain estimates from several garages (ii) When you want to buy a second-hand car, have it checked by a good mechanic first (iii) When you have a difficult job t o do, plan it carefully beforehand B Study this sentence: Methods of costing differ from garage to garage Change the following into sentences i n the style of the sentence above: (i) The grades of oil needed are not the same for every make of car (ii) The types of spanners used are not the same for every job (iii) The method of paying mechanics is not the same for every garage D L earn these prefixes: dis, di, dif = away or from dismantle = to take pieces away from; to take to pieces Look up the meanings of these words i n your dictionaries: differential diffused distributor distorted distilled Complete each of these sentences w i t h a w o r d taken from the above list: (i) The driver poured the water into the battery (ii) They repaired the and then checked the rear wheels (iii) The light in the garage made it difficult to see, so they used a spotlight as welt (iv) The metal w a s so that the mechanic c o u l d n o t straighten t h e wheel ( v ) If the gets wet, a car w i l l n o t start Comprehension A List all the items which make up t h e overheads of a workshop B Choose the correct answer a, 6, c, or d, to each of the following questions (i) According t o the passage, w h y is it important t o obtain a f u l l y itemised estimate? a Y o u w i l l always obtain a lower price b You w i l l get better service c Y o u w i l l n o t have t o pay for unnecessary w o r k d Y o u w i l l n o t have t o pay any overtime (ii) According t o t h e passage, h o w are mechanics p a i d ? a an hourly rate b according t o the skill needed c i n a number of different ways d b y a percentage o f t h e total overheads (iii) According t o t h e passage, w h i c h of t h e f o l l o w i n g does the customer n o t have t o pay for? a labour charges b overheads d t h e profit c the estimate (iv) According t o t h e passage, h o w c a n a mechanic estimate t h e cost o f a job? a H e is unable t o estimate it b H e can charge a percentage of t h e total workshop costs c He can use the manufacturer's schedules d He can ask t h e customer C Explain what the following refer to: (i) 'this amount o f w o r k ' i n lines a n d 10 (ii) 'itself' i n line 35 Language Practice A Study these sentences: ( i ) M a k e sure t h e estimate is f u l l y itemised Y o u m a y w a n t t o check t h e w o r k afterwards ( i i ) M a k e sure t h e estimate is f u l l y itemised, so that y o u c a n check t h e w o r k afterwards Change each of the following pairs of sentences into a sentence i n the style of ( i i ) above: ( i ) M a k e sure all t h e spare parts are genuine Y o u m a y w a n t t o claim under the guarantee (ii) M a k e sure y o u obtain more than o n e estimate Y o u may w a n t t o get t h e w o r k d o n e as cheaply as possible (iii) M a k e sure y o u keep a c o p y of t h e estimate Y o u may w a n t t o refer t o i t later (iv) M a k e sure a record is kept o f t h e t i m e t h e mechanic takes Y o u may w a n t t o check his pay B Study these sentences: ( i ) S o m e garages have a n incentive scheme They pay t h e mechanic a percentage o f w h a t t h e customer is charged (it) Garages w h i c h operate a n incentive scheme pay t h e mechanic a percentage of w h a t t h e customer is charged Change each of the following pairs of sentences into a sentence i n the style of (it) above: (i) S o m e estimates are n o t f u l l y itemised They d o n o t give a n accurate account o f t h e w o r k t o b e done (ii) Some garages d o n o t w o r k o u t overheads correctly, They w i l l either overcharge or undercharge their customers (iii) S o m e machinery is idle for m u c h o f t h e time It i s a major cost problem i n some workshops (iv) Some garages have poorly skilled mechanics They find it difficult to keep their customers C Study these sentences ( i ) Labour charges cover the cost of the wages They also cover the overheads (ii) Labour charges cover not only the cost of the wages, but also the overheads Change each of the following pairs of sentences into a sentence in the style of (it) above: (i) An estimate should include the cost of spare parts It should also include the labour costs (ii) Good garages employ skilled mechanics They also employ good supervisors (iii) The good mechanic is highly skilled He is also a fast worker (iv) Some machinery is expensive to install It is also expensive to maintain D Study this sentence: T h e charge is based on the manufacturer's time schedules his custom and you intend t o write him a rep1y Use the following information as well as that in the passage: Price of gear-box $30 Wages $8 an hour Overheads: Lighting Advertising per week of 45 Rent $1 15 hours $1 Telephone Profit 20% The job took one mechanic three hours Complete the letter below, explaining t h e charges: Watson's Garage, Main Street, Hopetown 26th August Mr F Jones, Short Street, Hopetown Dear Sir, Change the following into sentences in the style of the sentence above: (i) the cost per hour of the overheads / calculated / cost of running the workshop (ii) mechanic's wage / based / on the hours worked (iii) cost of spare parts / worked out / supplier's price With reference to your complaint of 24th November, I am sorry that you find our charges too high Because methods of costing , I would like t o take this opportunity of explaining our charges The cost of the gear-box itself The job took our mechanic three hours He is paid at the rate of Hence his wages for the job amounted t o Composition However, labour charges to our customers cover not only the cost of wages They include -.p Our charges for overheads for this job came to is added t o these A profit of combined charges for labour and overheads, Y o u are the manager of a garage A n angry customer has written that he has been overcharged for a new gearbox in his car He believes that the amount charged is too much for the job You not want t o lose Positioning a preformed hull section Electricians working on a generator part Installing an engine A ship being led to the fitting-out quay 18 ARC-WELDING Arc welding in use on a farm, Arc-welding in a workshop is a cheap, quick, usually adequate, no-fuss process You need a simple alternating current transformer, attached to the welding set, which you plug into your domestic power, a helmet, goggles, cables, clamps and a welding rod All that is required in arc-welding is to strike an intensely hot electrical arc between a flux-coated electrode (rod) and your workpiece Both rod and workpiece melt and flow together Very quickly, you have a weld Techniques are simple You set your pieces up so they won't fall apart while you are welding You use an earth clamp to secure the work This turns the workpiece into one side of an electrical circuit When you touch the workpiece with the rod tip, the lowvoltage, high-amperage circuit is completed on a building site, by the roadside, This gives you a n arc Helmeted and wellguarded against the brightness and the ultraviolet rays, you see white-hot liquid metal forming instantly at the rod tip and at the work point Don't hesitate, or you will pile too much metal in one place The trick is to hold the arc gap accurately and t o move the filler rod along evenly A vigorous, frying, hissing sound tells you the arc is about right The temperature in the arc is close to three hundred and thirty degrees centigrade -hot enough to melt a localised spot in ordinary metals almost as soon as you strike the arc The energy comes from the high amperage (current) passing between the rod and the work You cannot use ordinary domestic current for this because the high voltage would be dangerous and unsuitable EXERCISES in a remote location Vocabulary The words in l i s t A are used in the passage Pair each of these w o r d s w i t h the w o r d f r o m List B w h i c h is its opposite i n meaning (as i t is used 117 the passage) List A List B adequate broken melt slowly completed solidify instantly increased reduced inadequate relative complete and in a small workshop and you would have a dead short across the line Your welder is basically a step-down transformer You put in one hundred and fifteen or t w o hundred and thirty volts from your domestic circuit and take out twenty t o forty volts at amperages from thirty to t w o hundred and thirty An important aspect of this reduced voltage is the relative safety it gives from electrical shock There are t w o ways to strike an arc One is simply to tap the rod down on the metal and then lift it clear, just enough to develop the arc, The other way is t o drag or strike the rod across the surface much as you would strike a match Whichever way you use, you must keep the rod feeding down as it melts off, or the arc will be lost Although the process sounds easy, substandard work will result if you are not careful B 'workpiece' in line ( = a piece of metal, wood-or anything else-on which you work) is an example of a compound word M a k e other c o m p o u n d words f r o m the f o l l o w i n g list: power down drive feed over break speaker back loud tool Complete each o f these sentences w i t h one o f the c o m p o u n d w o r d s you have made: (i) Turn down the volume: there is through the microphone S (ii) Most tradesmen now use (iii) It is important to match the output of S to that of the amplifier S are usually caused by (iv> faulty components (v) Some cars have an additional gear to provide an p C Learn these prefixes: sub; sus; sup = under; below substandard = below standard Look up the meanings o f these w o r d s i n your dictionaries: substance sub-base substrata support suspension Complete each of these sentences with a word taken from the above list: (i) In road-building, the type of depends on the local geological conditions (ii) Samples were taken of the during exploratory drilling so that geologists could examine them (iii) A catatyst is a used for speeding up the oil refining process (iv) Every modern car has an independent front (v) Hundreds of piles were driven into the ground to the huge complex of buildings Comprehension A Describe briefly two ways of striking an arc B Choose the correct answer a, b, c, or d, to each of the follow~ngquestions: (i) According to the passage, which of the following you not need for arc welding? a power b rivets c cables d a welding rod (it) According to the passage, an arc is formed between the workpiece and what else ? a the transformer b the clamps c the cables d the flux-coated electrode (iii) According to the passage, what will happen if you not keep moving the filler rod along evenly? a Ultraviolet rays will damage the metal b The workpiece will melt c The line will short d Too much metal will pile up on one place (iv) According to the passage what is a transformer for? a to increase the amperages b to reduce the voltage c to heat the rod d to complete the circuit Language Practice A Study this example: l nstruction Result You form an arc Touch the work with the rod tip Observation: When the work is touched with the rod tip, an arc is formed Make observations from the following pairs of instructions and results, i n the style of the example above Begin your observations with either when or if: l nstructions Results (i) Move the filler You melt the correct rod evenly amount of metal (ii) Do not hold the You not pile up filler rod in the same too much metal place (iii) Do not use You not cause a dead short in the line domestic current (iv) Install airHumidity does not conditioning in the damage the books library (v) Drop an It attracts a large electro-magnet into amount of scrap for the crane to lift the heap of scrap metal B Study this sentence: You can't use ordinary domestic current for this because the high voltage would be dangerous Using the information in the relevant passages earlier in the book, complete the following statements w i t h reasons, i n the same way as in the sentence above: (i) You shouldn't have a lot of water damage with automatic sprinklers because (ii) We needn't use only coal, natural gas and oil for fuel, since (iii) You rnustn't overload a crane for (iv) You can't use chlorophane to clean pinch rollers as C Study these sentences: (i) The process sounds easy Substandard work will result if you are not careful (ii) Although the process sounds easy, substandard work will result if you are not careful Change each of the following pairs of sentences into a sentence i n the style of (ii) above: (i) Great care was taken on the building site There were several serious accidents (ii) The engine performs well It is too expensive for us to install (iii) Computer equipment may be complicated and difficult to repair The homecomputer industry is expanding rapidly (iv) The fire alarm was sounded immediately The Fire Brigade arrived too late to save the building (v) Wooden shores had been put into position for support The ship began to roll in the dry-dock Composition Look u p the meanings of these words in your dictionaries: plate prefabrication technique assembly shop riveting unit berth manual equipment fatigue semi -automatic samples defects tensile standards X-ray Rewrite the passage below, o n the shipbuilding industry, completing it w i t h words taken from the above list: Nowadays welding has almost entirely superseded for joining together the steel plates of which a ship is built This has enabled a new to be used, called Previously, every individual had to be carried from the plate shop to the for the riveters to secure it in position Today, whole sections are built up by welding in the and then taken as a complete to the berth for welding A great deal of the welding is done by individual welders using particularly on the structure of the ship in the berth But prefabrication in the shop lends itself to automatic welding Modern assembly shops have a number of completely automatic and welding machines Materials and methods used in the construction of a ship should be free of Conventional tests are made of of the materials to be used, to check that they meet with the prescribed of strength and resistence to During construction, the latest scientific instruments are used to examine the welds This includes radiography by , ultrasonic testing for internal defects, and magnetic crack detection of surface defects I 19 THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE sparking plug l outlet valve - - inlet valve air and petrol from carburettor exhaust combustion chamber piston rings piston U @-tti - jacket for cooling water gudgeon pin cylinder connecting rod crankshaft Fig 19.1 An internal combustion engine (simplified) An engine that converts heat energy into mechanical work is called a heat engine The internal combustion engine is one type of heat engine It derives heat from the burning or combustion of a fuel and converts this heat into useful work The fuel used in most internal combustion engines is petrol, one of the many products obtained from crude oil Petrol, when mixed with the right amount of air, will burn when a flame or spark is put to it In a car engine, air is mixed with petrol in the carburettor, then taken into a confined space-the cylinder-and compressed The mixture is then ignited, and it burns In burning, it heats the air, which expands The force caused by this expansion is then converted into a rotary movement t o drive the wheels of the car To use this energy effectively, we have to 80 control the burning process and the force of the expansion If we study how this is done, we shall also find out what the basic requirements of an engine are in terms of components Firstly, w e need a cylinder -a tube closed at one end-in which to compress and burn the mixture of petrol and air Then we need a piston which can slide freely in the cylinder, and which can be driven outwards by the force of the expansion To convert the outward movement of the piston into a rotary movement we must join it with a connecting rod to a crank or crankshaft We need one passage for the entry of the mixture into the cylinder, and another to let out the used gases-the inlet and exhaust ports To control the entry of the mixture and the exhaust of the gases, w e require valves-an inlet valve and an exhaust valve Finally, we need some means of igniting the mixture in the top of The gas turb~neof a jet engine the cylinder-the combustion chamberand for this we use a spark gap or a sparking plug By controlling the opening and closing of the valves and by timing the arrival of the spark, we can control the whole sequence of events We can make the piston move in and out over and over again in the passage Keep the original meaning: List A List B confined circular rotary lastly requirements enclosed finally needs sequence order EXERCISES B Fill in the blank spaces in this table with the correct form of the word indicated: Verb Noun Adjective mechanise Vocabulary produce conversion application A The words in List A are used in the passage Pair these with the words from List B which could be substituted for them expansive force move C Learn this prefix: de = down derives = comes down from; is obtained from Look up the meanings of these words in your dictionaries: deionisation decelerated decarbonise deflected decreases Complete each of these sentences with a word taken from the above list: (i) The speeding driver when he heard the police siren (ii) They had to the cylinders every six months (iii) The steam was from its course by the blades (iv) of water is far more economical than distillation (v) When the temperature the automatic sprinkler shuts itself off a the force of the expansion b a spark c inlet and exhaust valves d the outward movement of the piston (iii) According t o the passage, on which component does the force of the expansion act directly? a the piston in the cylinder b the connecting rod c the crank or crankshaft d the sparking plug (iv) According to the passage, which event in the following sequence occurs first? a The outward movement of the piston is converted into a rotary movement b The gases in the cylinder expand c A mixture of fuel and air enters the com bustion chamber d The crankshaft is turned Comprehension C State why you think it is correct to call the internal combustion engine a heat engine A List all the individual components of an internal combustion engine that are mentioned in the passage and use them to label the diagram: B Choose the correct answer a, b, c, or d, to each of the following questions: (i) According to the passage, what is the basic principle of the internal combustion engine ? a It obtains many products from crude oil b It converts the outward movement of a piston into a rotary movement c It converts heat energy into mechanical work d It controls the opening and closing of exhaust valves (ii) According to the passage, what ignites the fuel in a combustion chamber? Language Practice A Study these sentences: (i) A heat engine is a n engine that converts heat into mechanical work (ii) An engine that converts heat into mechanical work i s called a heat engine Change the following into sentences in the style of (ii) above: ( i ) A video system is a piece of electronic equipment that can receive and display pictures (ii) A bulk carrier is a ship that can transport large quantities of a particular raw material, such as iron ore (iii) A thermostat is a device that automatically reacts to a change in temperature (iv) A catalyst is a substance that creates direction of aeroplane combustion chamber , turbine with blades and rotor - air rear of plane \ fuel burner jet pipe and propelling nozzle the shaft rotates in this direction Fig 19.2 A jet engine changes i n other substances without being changed itself (v) A valve is a device that controls the inward and outward movement of gases and liquids B Study this sentence: Petrol, when mixed w i t h the right amount of air, will burn Using the correct form o f the words, change each of the following groups of words and phrases into a sentence i n the style o f the sentence above: (i) computers / install i n large factories and organisations / lower costs (ii) units of measurement / standardise / internationally / increase production (iii) solar heating systems / perfected for industrial and domestic use / conserve fuel (iv) automatic sprinklers / fitted as standard safety equipment / minimise water damage C Study these sentences: (i) We need some means of igniting the mixture For this w e can use a sparking plug (ii) The mixture can be ignited b y using a sparking plug Change each o f the following pairs o f sentences into a sentence i n the style o f (ii) above: (i) We need a means of controlling the entry of the mixture and the exhaust of the gases For this w e can use valves (ii) W e need a means of joining t h e piston t o the crankshaft For this we can use a connecting rod (iii) We need a means of converting the heat into mechanical work For this w e can use an internal combustion engine Composition The gas turbine used i n jet aircraft is also a type of heat engine These notes give an indication of h o w it works Compressor: kind of fan / behind air intake / connected t o turbine b y shaft / compresses air Combustion chambers: horizontal tubes / arranged in circle / one end closed / open end faces rear / take in compressed air and fuel / fuel ignited / produces hot gases under high pressure / gases escape through rear end / pressure on front closed end produces a thrust / aircraft moves forward / increased fuel intake means increased thrust Turbine: expanding gases escape through rear jet pipe / first directed o n t o turbine blades / turbine rotor revolves at terrific speed / this drives the compressor Using these notes and the diagram supplied, explain h o w the gas turbine used i n jet aircraft works 20 HYDRAULICS force exerted - 1728 Ibs force exerted - 12 Ibs I water level after force exerted t liquid Fig 20.1 The principle of the hydraulic jack, shown in diagrammatic form Hydraulics is a remarkably efficient way of distributing power evenly and making the most of a limited amount of force by the use of a liquid The word, 'hydraulic', comes from two Greek words; 'hydro' meaning water, and 'aulos' meaning pipe This is because hydraulic power depends on water, or other liquids-especially oil-being under pressure in pipes When a certain amount of liquid is forced in at one end of a liquid-filled pipe of constant diameter, exactly the same amount will be forced out at the other end When a force is exerted upon a solid object, the object transmits that force in the same direction Liquids, however, transmit the force equally in all directions Imagine a liquid-filled pipe with an area of one square inch at one end and an area of one hundred and forty-four square inches at the other end A force of twelve pounds exerted at the narrow end would be transmitted equally in all directions by the liquid This means that each square inch of liquid would be exerting a force of twelve pounds at the wide end Since the area at the wide end is a hundred and forty-four square inches, the total force there would be twelve pounds multiplied by one hundred and forty-fourthat is, seventeen hundred and twenty-eight pounds Hence, if the liquid were to be pushed down the narrow section of the pipe with a force of twelve pounds, a seventeen hundred and twenty-eight pound weight at the wide end would be moved This is why hydraulics has so many useful applications There are countless situations in which a large weight needs to be moved by a small force The hand-operated jack, for -F\\- liquid ihydrauic brake-fluid) lube \\ brake-drum piston fulcrum springs brake pedal pressure exerted by driver's foot brake-lining brake-shoes Fig 20.2 The hydraulic brakes of a motor car example, enables one person t o lift the corner of a car Today this power is used for working many kinds of machines, especially machine tools I n factories, there are hydraulic presses, some of which can exert a force o f twelve thousand tons M u c h of the heavy w o r k of opening and closing dock gates at hydro-electric power stations is carried out b y hydraulic power Cars are fitted w i t h hydraulic brakes and aeroplanes use hydraulic power for lifting the undercarriage into the aircraft EXERCISES The undercarriage of this aeroplane is raised by hydraulics during take-off Vocabulary B There are several words in the English language w h i c h have been derived from 'hydro', meaning 'water' Look up the meanings of these examples i n your dictionaries: hydrant hydro-electric hydrogen hydroponics hydroplane A Form nouns from these words: (i) efficient (ii) distribute (;;;)exert (v) move (iv) transmit Complete each of these definitions w i t h a w o r d taken from the above list: (9 A is a motor boat with a flat bottom, able to skim over the water (ii) A is a water pipe to which a hose can be attached for putting out fires is the art of growing (iii) plants without soil, in water to which chemical food is added is a gas without colour, (iv) taste or smell, that combines with oxygen to form water (V) power is electricity produced by water power C L earn this prefix: under = below undercarriage = section under the belly of the aircraft which carries the wheels Look u p the meanings of these words i n your dictionaries: underestimated under1ying undercurrents undergrowth undersized Complete each of these sentences w i t h a word taken from the above list: (i) Bulldozers were used to clear the ready for the construction of the workers' huts (ii) The rock was impermeable, so oil collected above it (iii) Models are used to test the effect of on jetty pilings (iv)The screws he bought were and had to be replaced (v) The contractor the rise in the price of materials, so the estimate was too low to make a profit Comprehension A Describe the origin o f the w o r d 'hydraulics ' B Choose the correct answer a, b, c; or d, to each of the following questions: (i) According to the passage, what does hydraulic power depend on? a liquids being solidified b liquids being pumped through pipes c liquids being expanded d liquids being under pressure in pipes (ii) According to the passage, what happens to a liquid when a force is exerted on it? a It transmits the force equally in all directions b It expands c It solidifies d It is compressed (iii) According to the passage, in a hydraulic jack, what pushes the oil through the pipe? a a ram b a cylinder c a piston d a crankshaft (iv) According to t h e passage, which of the following is hydraulic power n o t used for? a retracting the undercarriage of an aircraft b generating electricity c braking cars d compressing scrap metal and other materials Language Practice A Study this sentence: Hydraulics is an efficient way of distributing power evenly Using the correct form of the words, change each of the following groups of words and phrases into a sentence i n the style o f the sentence above: (i) w e l d i n g / m e t h o d / j o i n / m e t a l (ii) lubrication / means / restrict / friction (iii) air-conditioning / w a y / control / temperature (iv) standardising units / means / c u t / construction costs (v) solar heating / way / conserve / oil reserves B Study this sentence: If the liquid were t o be pushed d o w n w i t h a force of twelve pounds, a seventeen hundred and twenty-eight pound weight at the w i d e end w o u l d be moved Change each of the following groups of words and phrases into a sentence i n the style of the sentence above: (i) welds defective / ship unseaworthy (ii) crane overloaded / unstable (iii) foundations inadequately laid / the structure unsafe (iv) sprinklers installed / less water damage (v) drains n o t ventilated / gases trapped C Study these sentences: (i) There are countless situations I n these situations, a large weight needs t o be moved by a small force (iii) There are countless situations i n w h i c h a large weight needs to be moved b y a small force Change each of the following pairs of sentences into a sentence i n the style of (ii) above: ( i ) The project took five years t o complete They needed twenty-three thousand workers for this project (ii) The cranes were built t o carry four hundred tons They load machinery into ships w i t h these cranes (iii) The cable was cut The power f l o w e d through this cable (iv) They subjected the metal t o stress At that stress the metal fractures ( v ) The point is called the fulcrum The body is free t o rotate about the point Composition Using the correct form of the verbs indicated, rewrite these paragraphs about one method of system building: The Hydraulic Jackblock M e t h o d Once the foundations of the building (lay), hydraulic jacks (set u p ) at the t o p of the (be) the columns w h i c h structural supports of t h e building Moulds for the floor stabs (build) from ground level Concrete (pour) into these moulds When the concrete (set), jacking (begin) The floor slabs (raise) by the jacks, one b y one After the slabs (place) i n position, they (secure) there Then external walls and partitions (fixed) After this, bathrooms, kitchens a n d doors (fit) p Conversion Tables DEGREES CELSIUS ( C E N T I G R A D E ) T O DEGREES FAHRENHEIT [ C to F] METRES T O FEET m = 3.280 839 895 ft [ m to ft] (a) metres 10000 20000 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 3280.840 6561.680 9842.520 131 23.360 16404.199 19685.039 22965.879 26246.719 29527.559 32808.399 36089.239 39370.079 42650.91 45931.759 4921 2.598 52493.438 55774 278 59055.1 18 62335.958 6561 6.798 68897.638 721 78.478 75459.318 78740.157 82020.997 85301.837 88582 677 91 863.51 951 44.357 - p - (b) metres KILOMETRES T O MILES km = 0.621 371 192 mile (a) kilometres kilometres 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 LITRES TO UK GALLONS [I to UKgal] 11 = 0.219 969 157 UKgal (a) litres (b) litres Note: I I = 1%pints (approx.) [...]... William Watson (Manager) 2 TECHNICAL REPORT AND ESTIMATE THE REPORT The present condition of the surfaces and the proposed finishes is as follows: Ceiling : Soft distemper on plaster, badly cracked Hang textured paper at $8.00 per roll and finish emulsion paint t o match BS 3- 3 033 C o r n i c e : Soft distemper, some damage t o external mitre on elevation Finish to match B S 3- 3 033 W a l l s : Emulsion... it is painted b before the paper is hung c after it has been painted d during stripping C List all the materials that will be required to redecorate the room 3 Language Practice A This technical report and estimate is written in abbreviated English Many words have been left out: For example: Soft distemper on plaster, badly cracked For: The distemper on the plaster is soft and badly cracked Referring... condition 4 Composition Study this picture of a room very carefully, then write a detailed technical report T h e owner wants the four walls to be hung with Vinyl, pattern number 49A You must decide how the rest of the room is to be repaired, painted or plastered / Fig 2 .3 A damaged interior room, with window 3 CAR RUNNING INSTRUCTIONS Filling up with fuel When filling up with fuel avoid overf,illing... wash-detergent cut back- abrasive polish (gives smooth, shiny, finish)-don't rub too hard (expose undercoat)] (ii) protect-wax polish-not in sundries quickly-hard to polish acuum cleaner Fig 3. 3 Cleaning the inside of a car Fig 3. 4 Cleaning the outside of a car 4 TAPE-DECK MAINTENANCE The inside of a tape-deck - Cleaning the pinch roller - Cleaning the tape- heads Removing the pinch roller A n important... l lIldlIltt'17;1111:f) 111;111~1;-ll extt311 0 1 set vtce I tl~sconnect b l tlsh I11t11 ~c'iltit c a i I lage I ~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ I ~t yI ~Cj uI - ~f a~c eI s~ ty11e l ) c l l off Fig 4 1 / A cross-sect~onof a typewiltet C o / ~ ? p l c t tel ~ ef o / l o w / i l y i n s t r ! / c t i o l ~ sf o / t y l ) i 3 w l i t e r iunt/1te/?ar7ceby f t l l i i l y 111 t/1 13 O l c ~ i ~ l ( s 117 t110 i l a s s a g... cause B Write the opposite o f these words: (i) irregular (ii) non-flammable (iii) harmful (iv) corn bustible (v) satisfactory (vi) flexible (vii) forward (viii) suitable (ix) important (In less technical English, 'inflammable' is often used instead of 'flammable' Its opposite is 'non-inflammable' instead of 'nonflammable'.) C L earn this prefix: (i) re = back reproduction = (in the passage) play-back... heads? a t o reduce friction b t o remove oxides and discolouration c t o increase tape speed d t o reduce frequency-response C Explain what the following refer to: (i) 'its' in line 17 (ii) 'it' in line 23 3 Language Practice A Study this example: an important procedure / improve engine performance / adjust the carburettor A n important procedure i n improving engine performance is t o adjust the carburettor... first eight hundred kilometres: Do not exceed seventy kilometres per hour, Do not operate at full throttle in any gear D o not allow the engine to labour in any gear Fig 3. 1 An over-filled fuel tank temperature gauge gear lever Fig 3. 2 speed gauge choke ignition key il pressure gauge A car dashboard, showing dials and gauges After the running-in period, speeds should be gradually increased up to maximum... worked in such specialised fields as radio and telecommunications In (ii) we see how the verb-form specialised can also be used as an adjective A number of other verb-forms commonly used in technical and scientific English can also be used as adjectives Some of these are listed in List A Look up the meanings of these verb-forms in your dictionaries Then pair each of them with the word in List B that... t o a garage, B Study these sentences: ( i ) Users of electronic equipment rely o n the fact that it does work They d o n o t rely o n an understanding o f h o w it works (ii) Users of electronic equipment rely o n the fact that i t does work rather than o n an understanding of h o w i t works Change each of the following pairs of sentences into a sentence in the style of (it) above: (i) M o s t accidents ... roll and finish emulsion paint t o match BS 3- 3 033 C o r n i c e : Soft distemper, some damage t o external mitre on elevation Finish to match B S 3- 3 033 W a l l s : Emulsion paint in reasonable... 63 and 64; Gammon Building Construction Ltd for page 51; Hong Kong Government: Government lnformation Service for pages 2, 15, 21 bottom-right, 23 top-right and bottom, 28, 33 , 36 top, 41, 43, ... l Air filter Fuel filter Point set washer 51 OO 27.00 30 .00 18.00 7.00 34 .00 14.00 13. 00 18.00 2.50 2.50 2.80 5.20 3. 00 2.00 Fig l 2 63. 00 90.00 80.00 27.00 - - - TOTAL 690.00 - - -